Summer Consultants provided mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering design services as part of a multi-discipline team for the $13 million renovation and expansion of the Brault Building on the Northern Virginia Community College campus in Annandale. The project renovated the three-level, 29,200 SF administrative building and added 20,200 SF.
The project earned a LEED® Silver rating for new construction. Summer Consultants conducted multiple energy models to assist the architect in assessing the building’s envelope construction and positioning of shading devices. Current energy models indicate an energy cost savings of 26% over baseline from the design.
Following construction completion, the project owner requested Summer Consultants, modify the building’s controls for reduced occupancy. Summer Consultants provided an updated controls strategy to save energy and improve thermal comfort while the building remains partially occupied. The proposed control scheme allows building ventilation to be adjusted to meet the current load and automatically adjusts as building occupancy increases. Based on the modifications to the energy model, energy savings are estimated to be an additional 5-10% over the original design for part load occupancy.